In Search of the New Forest Coven - by Philip Heselton (Paperback)

About the Book

An investigation into the people and events that influenced the rise of Wicca, a modern form of Witchcraft, in particular those who were present at the time of and just previous to Gerald Gardner, the 'Father of Modern Witchcraft

Book Synopsis

In 1954 a book was published which claimed that witches were not just some historical oddity but that the author, retired civil servant, Gerald Gardner, had been initiated into a witch coven in the New Forest, Hampshire, England in 1939.

Many dismissed his claims, but Philip Heselton, who has been investigating the story for over 20 years, is convinced that what Gardner wrote about the witch coven was essentially true.

He has found that the New Forest coven was started by a group of esoteric students in the early part of the 20th century who believed in reincarnation and that they had been witches in a previous lifetime.

Philip Heselton has uncovered the likely membership of the coven and has brought them to life as never before.

Review Quotes

Any new book from the foremost historian of the immediate origins of Wicca is a splendid event, and Philip Heselton's characteristic meticulous research makes this another important edition to our knowledge.

Ronald Hutton, Professor of History at the University of Bristol